Nailing machine



Feb. 11, 1958 E. P. ANSTETT NAILING MACHINE Filed, April 13, 1955 Ens/4e P. A/vsTETT NAILING MACHINE Edgar P. Anstett, Chicago, 11]., assignor to Powernail Co., Chicago, 111., a corporation of Illinois ApplicationlApril 13, 1955, Serial No. 501,035

Claims. 01. 1-46) This invention relates to machines for driving nails, dowels, or the like, and more particularly, to portable machines of this type operable by impact imparted thereto by a manually operated mallet, hammer, or the like.

It is one of the objects of the present invention to provide a machine of the above mentioned character having a highly durable nail driving blade.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a nailing machine in which a nail driving blade may he quickly removed and replaced.

It is a still further object of this invention to provide a nailing machine in which a resilient ring serves both to retain a nail driving blade on a driving plunger and cushion the body of the machine against severe shock.

It is a still further object .of this invention to provide a nail driving machine having a driving plunger with an external socket for interlockably receiving a head of a :nail driving blade and a retaining ring holding the head of the blade in the socket.

It :is another object of this invention .to provide a nail driving machine having a driving plunger with a hard head against which a cushioned maul or driver may be struck, and adapted to receive interlockably a high cushioning block for use with .an uncushioned maul or driver.

.In accordance with .the invention, a nail driving blade of substantially uniform cross section throughout its length is carried by a driver movable in a guideway in the machine body. The driver has 'a slot :in which the upper portion of the blade is mounted, and clearance is provided .in .the slot .for a tongue of a blade backing plate. The blade has an enlarged head which fits into a complementary recess in the driver, and the head is secured in place in the recess of the driver by a resilient ring which underlies an enlarged driving head portion of the driver. The ring also acts .as a shock absorber between the head of the driver and the machine body. The head of the driver may be constructed of hard material to be struck by a cushioned hammer and also may receive a soft head to be struck by an uncushioned hammer. Since the blade is of uniform cross section throughout substantially its entire length, it is subjected to uniform stress along its length. This factor has been found to greatly increase the life of theblade.

The attainment of the above and further objects of the present invention will be apparent from the accompanying specification taken in conjunction with the drawings forming a part thereof.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 .is a central longitudinal section view through a nailing machine embodying the present invention;

Fig. 2 is .an enlarged sectional view taken along line 2-8 of Fig. .1

Fig. .3 is an enlarged fragmentary bottom view, partly insection, of the .driverand driving blade;

.Fie- 4 is n enlarg f a ment r id view, pa tl in section, .of the portion of the blade and driver shown inF s- 2,822,544 Patented Feb. 11 195.8

Fig. 5 is a horizontal sectional view taken .alQQ line 5-5 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 6 is an enlarged, exploded perspective view of a portion of the apparatus shown in Fig. 11;.and v Fig. .7 is a perspective view of a Portion of the apparatus shown in Fig. '1.

Reference may now be had more particularly to the respective figures of the drawings wherein like reference numerals designate like parts throughout.

The nailing machine'is indicated in general by the reference numeral 1, and includes a body portion consisting of two similar but not identical body halves :2 and '3 of steel or, preferably, a non-brittle hard thermoplastic compound having therein a commingled mass of reinforcing strands of cotton, rayon or the like forming an excellent impact material not subject to cracking or crystallization. The body halves are secured together suitably by bolts 8 or the like. Wedge-shaped portions 9 are formed integrally with the body halves to fit with a shoe 10 which supports the nailing machine in a position for nailing the edges of tongue and groove flooring boards 11 at an angle tothe plane-of the boards.

A generally square steel driver or plunger body 14 is slida'bly disposed in a complementary guideway-16 formed by opposed rectangular slots in the body halves 2 and S, which slots are each lined with a metal slide channel piece "1'8 within which the driver body slides. The driver body has an enlarged head portion including a disk- ..shaped metal flange 17 from which extends a central button-shaped striking head 17 having an overhanging rim portion 20. The button-shaped driving head 17 may :be struck directly by a cushioned hammer or maul as, for example, a hard rubber or plastic hammer, or a leather-coveredhammer. Where a hard metallic hammer or maul is to be used, a resilient cap 19 having a thickness several times greater than the striking head =17 is fittedover the drivinghead 17. The top striking end 21 of the rubbercap 19 is spaced a sufficient distance from the driving head 17 that the force-of a blow appliedoff center on oron the edge .of the-cap 19 is distributed over the driving head 17 to prevent shearing .or. damage .to the driving head. The resilient cap '19, which maybe made of rubber or similar material, is provided with a button-shaped opening 19 which -is complementary {in shape to the driving head ;17, so that the .cap 19 may be snapped over the driving head 17' to bear against .thetop surface of the driver flange 17.

The driver 14 has a longltudinal groove :25 (Figs. '3, 4 and 7) including a relatively narrow, short :and shallow upper portion 25 and a relatively .wide, long .and deep lower portion 35. A transverse groove .or socket 2.6 ,is formed in the driver body '14 immediately below :the driver flange 17. The groove 26 is of.. PP DX.imately1tl1e same depth as the narrow groove portion 25 and intersects the same to form a T-shaped socket or .recess.

Mounted within the socket 26 and zthe longitudinal groove 25 is a driving blade 27 which has ;a rectangular intermediate portion 27a occupying substantially {the entire length of the blade and terminatingina T-shaped or overhanging head end portion 2 8 and a -elatively short tapered tip portion 31 at the other end. {Ehe intermediate portion 27a has a uniform cross section and a substantial part of the ,latter projects :beyond :;the end of the driver body. The tip portion is formed by grinding away a portion of the blade end ,to form ;a tapered or beveled tip having a minimum thickness which is slightly less :than the thinnest of the nails to be used with the nailing device- The width and :thick- .nes th n ermediate po ti n 74 .q th bla $9 2 spoads respe t ve y with th wi t rand epth f th narrow portion 25' of the longitu in l dri er 81 i .1

The width of the overhanging head end portion 28 of the blade is less than the length of the groove 26, and the length or height and thethickness of the same correspond to ,the. width and depth, respectively,- of the groove 26. The T-shaped head end 'of the'drivingblade fits snugly within the T-shaped socket formedby the groove26 and the slot portion 25', with the blade flush with the outer flat surface of the driverbody.

The driving blade is held in place on the driver by a shock-absorbing washer or ring 33 of rubber, plastic, or other suitable resilient cushioning material. The washer 33 fits over the driver shank immediately below the driver flange 17 and overlies the head of the driver' blade to maintain the same within the slots 25' and 26.

The washer 33 has a square hole therein-just slightlysmaller than the cross-section of the driver 14, and

enters a second notch 68 (Figs. 1 and 4) formed in the driver body to retain itself on the driver.

When the driver assembly, comprising the driver body 14, the blade 27 and ring 33, is within the guideway body when the guide tongue 36 extends within the slot portion 35. The tongue 36 aids in preventing lateral bending of the driving blade.

The driver assembly is urged into a position with the .head end thereof spaced an appreciable distance from a flat portion 2 of the body parts 2-3 by a coil spring 15 fitting within a longitudinal bore formed Within, the driver body and resting against a shoulder 4 at the bottom of the guideway opening 16. When the driver assembly is in its extended position, the tongue 36 of the guide plate 37 extends only a small distance within the 'driver slot portion 35. The extended position of the driver assembly is limited by a guide roller '43 mounted on a pin 49 carried by the body parts 2 and 3. The roller 43 rides within a groove 47 (Figs. 1 and 5) terminating at both ends within the face of the driver body 14, which is opposite the face containing the longitudinal blade-receiving slot 25. The upper limit of movement of the driver assembly is reached when the roller 43 abuts against the lower defining wall of the longitudinal groove 47. In its fully driven position, the cushioning ring 33 of the driver assembly bears against the flat surface 2 of the body parts 2 and 3 to cushion the machine against shock.

In the movement of the driver assembly from its fully extended to its fully driven position, the portion of the driver blade 27 extending below the bottom of the driver body passes within a guideway formed by the guide plate 37 and a facing plate'38 anchored to the body parts 2 and 3 by screws 39' passing through holes 39 and 39". The plates 37 and 38 are precisely located by dowel pins 49 -46 fitting closely within holes 45 and 45' in these plates. The latter guideway is defined by a slot 50 formed on-the inner face of the facing plate 38 and by the outer face of the guide plate 37. The guide plate 37 has a nail-receiving, L-shaped slot 41 which is in registry with a nail-receiving guideway 42 formed by the opposing faces of the body parts 2 and 3. Slidable within the nail-receiving guideway 42 is a stack 43 of L-shaped nails 32 corresponding in size and shape to the L-shaped slot 41 in the guide plate. The slot 41 has a width less than the width of the driving blade shank 27a. The stack of nails is urged. toward the bottom of the nail guideway 42 by a spring urged channel bar as. The bar 44 forces the bottommost nail of the stackthrough the guide plate slot 41 and against the bottom defining wall of the facing plate slot 56.

' The constructional details of the nail giiideway 42 and 4 the channel bar 44 may be obtained from U. S. Patent 2,580,065, of E. P. Anstett, granted December 25, 1951 for a Nailing Machine The slot '50 in the facing plate 38 is of a width slightly greater than the largest width of the L-shaped nails 32 to be used, which is slightly greater than the width of the driving blade shank'27a. The depth of the slot 50 in the facing plate is just slightly greater than the maximum thickness of the thickest of any of the nails to be used with the machine, but less'than twice the thickness of the thinnest of the nails. The thickness of the driving blade shank portion 27a between the head and tip portion thereof is approximately equal to or slightly less than the depth of the slot 50. It therefore can be seen that the driving blade 27 is slidably disposed within the facing plate slot 50 and is confined against any appreciable lateral flexing therein in all directions by the defining walls of the facing plate slot 50 and bythe walls of the guide plate 37 lining the slot 41.

In the driven position of the driver assembly, the backing tongue 36 extending between the driving blade 27 and the defining walls of the driver body slot portion 35 extends almost to the upper end of the latter slot portion so that as much as possible of the blade 27 is supported by the tongue 37 when the nail is being driven into the wooden surface 11.

In the operation of the nail driving machine 1, the machine is placed on the flooring board in a position in which the endmost nail 32 is directed angularly toward an edge of the board. A hammer or maul then is swung against the upper end of the driver 14, the cap 19 being on the head 17 if the hammer is nonresilient and being off the head 17 if the hammer is cushioned. The driver 14 is forced downwardly by the blow to a position in which the tip end of the blade 27 extends'below the bottom of the body halves 2 and 3 suificiently to slightly countersink the endmost nail32, in which position the washer 33 is compressed between the body halves 2 and'3 and the head 17 of the driver 14. The resilient washer acts as a shock absorber to prevent damage to the body halves and the driver head from impact. Since the intermediate portion of the blade 27 is uniform throughout its length both in width and thickness, there is uniform strain therein throughout the entire length of the intermediate portion. Any lateral bending of the blade 27 from compression between the nail 32 being driven and the head 17 of the driver 14 is not concentrated at any point along the blade as would be the case if the blade were wider or thicker at any point along its intermediate portion. The

fact that theblade is not fastened rigidly to the driver 14 also tends to prevent concentration of strain at any point along the blade.

The nailing machine is very durable and may be used either with cushioned or uncushioned hammers. The blade 27 has extremely long life and, whenever it is necessary to remove the blade for repair or replacement, this may be accomplished merely by removing the driver 14 and the blade from the machine and sliding the r the like comprising a driver body having a driving head portion, a driving blade secured to said driver body and projecting beyond the end thereof which is opposite said driving head portion, and a clamping ring fitted over the driver body and surrounding the upper end of said driving blade for clamping the same to the driver body.

2. A driver assembly for nailing machines and the like comprising a driver body having a shank portion and an overhanging driving head portion, a driving blade fixed to the driver for longitudinal movement therewith, and means for holding the driving blade against the side of the driver body comprising a ring of elastic material fitted over the driver body immediately below the driving head portion thereof and engaging with the upper end of the driving blade for both holding the blade resiliently against the driver body and for cushioning the machine with which it is associated against shock.

3. A driver assembly for use in nail driving devices and the like comprising a driver body having a forcereceiving head at one end and a longitudinal driver blade-receiving slot formed in one face thereof, and a driver blade fixed to the driver body for longitudinal movement therewith within said slot, the end of said slot nearest the said force-receiving end of said driver body corresponding in size and shape to the portion of the blade fitting therein, the portion of said slot remote from said force-receiving end being deeper than the thickness of said driver blade to provide clearance for the passage of a backing tongue within the slot between the driving blade and the inner defining Wall of said slot, and said driving blade having a uniform cross section between the opposite ends thereof.

4. A driver assembly for use in nail drivnig devices and the like comprising a driver body having a force-re-- ceiving head at one end and a longitudinal driver bladereceiving slot formed in one face thereof, and a driver blade fixed to the driver body for longitudinal movement therewith within said slot, the end of said slot nearest the said force-receiving end of said driver body corresponding in size and shape to the portion of the blade fitting therein, the portion of said slot remote from said force-receiving end being deeper than the thickness of said driver blade to provide clearance for the passage of a backing tongue within the slot between the driving blade and the inner defining wall of said slot.

5. In a device for driving nails and the like including a body having a guideway, a driver having a shank portion having a T-shaped groove in one face thereof and a head portion over-hanging the shank portion, a driving blade having a T-shaped head end fitting in the groove, and an elastic washer fitting over the driver shank portion below the driver head portion for retaining the head of the blade in the groove and cushioning impact between the head portion and said body.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 641,177 Young Jan. 9, 1900 2,228,778 Pankonin Jan. 14, 1941 2,401,840 Olson June 11, 1946 2,418,118 Hamilton Apr. 1, 1947 2,420,830 Maynard May 20, 1947 2,445,178 Linstrom July 13, 1948 2,632,889 Beecroft Mar. 31, 1953 

